The catalytic decomposition of silver coated cinnamyl alcohol during water exposure and the formation of silver nanoparticles

Metastable Induced Electron Spectroscopy, Ultraviolet Photoelectron Spectroscopy (He I), X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy, and Quadrupole Mass Spectrometry are employed to study the interaction of water with Ag nanoparticles on cinnamyl alcohol films. The films have been prepared on Au(111) substrates by thermal evaporation. The water adsorption does not result in any chemical interaction with the silver nanoparticles at all, but the cinnamyl alcohol changes its chemical structure significantly. While water molecules induce a reduction of the organic groups, the film thickness seems to decrease. Thus, a decomposition of the cinnamyl alcohol films is proposed. Since no effects are observed during water interaction with pure cinnamyl alcohol films at all, a catalytic reaction appears to take place. No decomposition is found for cinnamyl alcohol adsorbed on a closed silver film, indicating that Ag nanoparticles are required for this catalytical decomposition. The MIES and UPS spectra indicate the existence of a closed metallic film directly after silver adsorption on cinnamyl alcohol, while they suggest the presence of silver nanoparticles after the exposure to water. The formation of silver nanoparticles therefore seems to happen concurrently to the catalytic decomposition of cinnamyl alcohol.